Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds,because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

If you pop into my blog, now and then, you know that I try to fill my posts with joy, love and thanksgiving. I try to live in the midst of joy, at all times. I try to keep continuous praise upon my lips and in my heart. Why? I know my Father supplies more than my portion of joy and I refuse to ignore His gift. Joy is special and it lives in each one of our souls. It comes to each one of us through our quiet time with God, while kneeling at the feet of Jesus. This joy has nothing to do with the "things" we own in this world...the tangibles of this life. Instead, it is the recognition of our new life to come, when we are at Home with Him.

As far back as I can remember, I have been a joyful person. As a child, other children and adults would ask me why I was so happy. Of course, I didn't have the words to explain my feelings. But, I always felt that there was this "wellspring" of joy deep down in my soul. And, I would try to give it to others. And, yes, this caused me to be picked-on by other kids and dismissed by a few adults. Many people said that I led a sheltered life and that my time would come for pain and suffering. They were right. My time for pain and suffering had come and continued to come. It came...

~When I was a tiny little girl and couldn't understand why Great Grandma Izetta was sleeping in a beautiful wooden box and couldn't come home with us. I was inconsolable. I didn't understand death.

~When I was a tiny little girl and couldn't understand why I was so sick and couldn't breathe. I had pneumonia in both lungs and wasn't expected to live.

~When I was about 7 years old and my sweet Aunt Ruby went to live with Jesus.

~In my preteen years, as I watched a drunk driver in a green truck run over a friend, as we crossed the street...as one of my friends was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis and could barely walk.

These are just a few of the incidents in my timeline of life that could have stolen my joy. But, they didn't. That wellspring of joy just kept on bubbling and growing. And, to this day, I still have my joy. I may become sick, saddened or shattered, but my joy remains. It remains, in the face of life and death. That Joy is Christ. Yes, I am convinced that nothing can take my Joy away.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

JUST ME!

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Joyfully Featured!!

Featured in August/September 2013 of Mary Jane's Farm Magazine

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Lovely photos of a wedding! Click on photo to go to wedding photography site. When you get to the site, scroll down to view all of the photos. My coasters are featured in a couple of the photos. Blessings!

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Featured in the Vintage Holiday issue 2013 of Shabby Lane Shops Magazine